


Beauty and Power

by EXOLCaratNCTzenARMY



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Brothers, Duty, Honor, Hostage Situations, Hurt/Comfort, Like entirely new world, Love, Magic-Users, Self-Sacrifice, Violence, War, Worldbuilding
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:33:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26644558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EXOLCaratNCTzenARMY/pseuds/EXOLCaratNCTzenARMY
Summary: Crown Prince Taeyong finds himself with an impossible choice. The Krayat are about to break down the Cities shield and he can't keep them out much longer. Taeyong needs a way to protect his people and his family but it isn't looking good.Krayat warlord Johnny Seo who is sick of this siege which has been going on for months, his warriors are at the end of their stamina but he can't return to his father empty-handed.This is a story of sacrifice, of duty and of love in the strangest places.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone and welcome to the absolute chaos that is my writing. I make no promises for an update schedule okay? This is a world builder so bear with me as I write. There are two versions of this story to the NCT version and the complete original version. Thanks for clicking on this one and I hope you enjoy the ride! Also I cant seem to mark this story as not complete for some reason so I'm still working on that. THIS WORK IS NOT COMPLETE.

_Prologue_

Power and Beauty. Everyone craves it and few possess it.

The Ecein were a powerful race, linked directly to the powerful elemental magic of the earth. Long ago humans lived in harmony with the Ecein. In return for the elemental magic they possessed human formed bonds and friendships with the beings, provided food and shelter. But, as time progressed, more and more people came to covet the powers of the Ecein. They were hunted down and chained, used as little more then a container for the power which humans used to destroy one another. Then came the slaying. So terrified of the power being used against them humans began to kill the Ecein so their powers could not be wielded against them. The Ecein could not stay. Slowly the Ecein migrated further and further west to their ancestral homelands beyond human reach. The Ecein who had formed close ties with humans were distraught at the loss but knew if they stayed they would be hunted. As a final gift some of the Ecein passed on a gift to the humans that had treated them. The primordial elemental magic that was the lifeforce of the Ecein was bound to the blood of One hundred and Seventy Seven families. Then the Ecein vanished from this earth. The original 177 families would become known as the “Sacred Founders” and the combined efforts of 123 of the families would end the wars that had driven the Ecein away. Centuries would pass and as bloodlines grew so would those with an inherent connection to the Ecein magic. Overtime, and with the intermingling between different bloodlines, non-magic and magic it would come to be that nearly 15 percent of the world population would possess a ‘gift’. These people were the “Ecein Amamored” the “Ecein’s gifted”, but would become more commonly known as Acain. Each again would possess at least one Elemental Nature; Fire, Earth, Water, Air and Energy and from each of these would come different subsets and specialities. It was never certain which subset or speciality a person would inherit but their elemental natures are known from birth. Small glowing symbols appear at the base of the neck to signify the nature. Around 60% of Acain would possess low level abilities such as the ability to heal small wounds, create small flames, or make plants grow better. 30% would possess medium level abilities, the ability to control the wind, create shields, move earth. 10% would possess high level abilities, these people usually came from direct bloodlines of the Sacred Founders. They would possess powerful abilities and many, like the Ecein, would be hunted for their abilities. The world would divide into 7 Kingdoms. The Swalyn Kingdom of the North, a people of learning and art. The Kingdom of Brom to the south, a separatist state to which no one goes and no one comes from. The Kingdom of Eyret to the East, seafarers and pirates to whom their life goal is to find the greatest treasure. The Kingdom of Maerorin to the North-East, a Kingdom of trade and commerce. The Kingdom of Saekdin to West a people of culture and invention. The warrior Kingdom of Krayat which lies in the centre, who live to wage war and who regard the greatest honour as being able to bring your enemies greatest treasure to their capital city of Krin. Lastly there is the Kingdom of Neocin, they are a people of peace and of learning and joy and laughter, but right now?

They are under siege.


	2. Chapter 1: Brother Mine

_Chapter 1_

Prince Mark was running. Through the twists and turns of the white city his feet flew as he raced up from the gate garrison to the cities summit. Above him energy crackled as wave after wave of blue fire pressed against the green forcefield currently protecting to city from ruin. As he started the ascent up the marble staircase the ground shook with such force it threw him to his knees. Glancing back up at the sky he could see spiderweb cracks in the usually solid shield.

“This is not good.”

Mark hauled himself to his feet and resumed his desperate climb. Reaching the palace guards he nodded in thanks on his way past as they wrenched the ornately carved grand doors open for him. The scene inside was chaos. Advisors and strategist’s sprawled over maps and papers, his second eldest brother, Prince Doyoung, was engaged in a yelling match with a senior general and palace staff and Acain were busy trying to keep everything running. Prince Jisung, his youngest brother, was sat in the middle of it all, eyes closed and clutching desperately to the hand of the one Mark had raced to find. His oldest brother Crown Prince Taeyong. The Crown Prince’s expression was furrowed in an intense look of concentration and sweat glistened from his brow as the column of green light continue to shoot from his fingers into the cracking shield. The Crown Prince looked exhausted would have been able to tell that the usually unreadable Prince was reaching his limit, the only thing likely keeping him upright was the steady stream of energy coming from Lunan and his own stubbornness. Mark rushed to his side careful to touch neither Taeyong or Jisung not wanting to disrupt the flow. Mark spoke clearly and assuredly,

“Not long now brother, their offensive Acain are down to the last ones and judging by their looks they are about to fall too.”

Taeyong opened one eye is a sidelong glance at his most mischievous of his brother,

“I swear to all the Ecein if you’re kidding me now I will end you.”

Mark smiled but assured,

“No Hyung, this time I tell only the truth. Their offensive power is almost depleted. The attacks will stop soon and you can transfer control of the shield to one of the other Acain.”

The Crown Prince visibly sagged a little

“Thank the Ecein, if not for our dearest Jisung here I fear I would have been forced to drop the shield far earlier. I was not prepared for this type of sustained aerial onslaught.”

Jisung smiled at the praise but did not respond to it, the energy transfer process was complicated and he could not afford to mess it up now. Of everyone in the room he alone knew that not only was Prince Taeyong exhausted but his depth of use of magic had surpassed safe levels hours ago. The fact he kept finding enough magic to keep the shield up was nothing short of a miracle.

Mark turned to one of the attendants

“Have Saeler the Energy Acain report here immediately.”

The attendant bowed and left leaving the three brothers standing in silence. Another attack on the shield shook the floor again and then another, all the while the green energy continued shooting out of Taeyong’s hands. Seeing the Crown Prince actively engaging in high level magical stands was not an often occurrence, as he usually kept his power in the healing rooms, so it was easy to forget that he held the greatest magical connection of anyone in the Kingdom. Watching the light green pure energy swirl out his hands and pulse out in the shield was mesmerising, the magic emitting a warmth that felt strangely like home. A final massive shockwave hit the shield and it knocked Mark and almost everyone to the ground as a relentless blue wall of flame pressed hard against the shield. A clearly desperate final attempt to gain entry to the city that had remained untouchable for the last month. Then it all went silent. The flames died out and the shaking stopped. The Acain Saeler ran into the room as everyone was picking themselves off the floor.

Saeler knelt beside the Crown Prince before announcing his prescense. Taeyong nodded in acknowledgement before squeezing Jisung’s hand. Jisung opened his eyes and called out to Prince Doyoung, the largest of the brothers,

“You should probably catch him,”

Doyoung’s eyes widened and he quickly made his over to where his other brothers were assembled, nodding to Jisung, Mark and Taeyong,

“You can let go now”

Taeyong took a deep breath and let go of Jisung’s hand before cutting of the flow of energy, the green light fizzling out before promptly passing out and falling directly onto Jisung,

“Yah! I told you to catch him you useless stargrinder!”

Doyoung chuckled, “I thought you were gonna catch him though?”

Jisung peered up at his second eldest brother past the white hair of his eldest, glaring at him,

“You totally did that on purpose”

Doyoung smiled, “Maybe but I guess we’ll never know.” Then he carefully gathered his, surprising light, brother into his arms. Taeyong was completed out of it and if he could see what was happening he’d probably be mortified. “I’ll take him to his rooms, he’s only exhausted and drained magically right? There’s nothing I should take him to a healer for?”

Doyoung directed the question to Jisung the only one who actually knew Taeyong’s physical state, Jisung was energy linked and could sense the state of people’s bodies through their energy levels,

“Nah, he’s totally drained though, for the last hour he kept pulling magic out of places I didn’t even know there was magic!”

Doyoung nodded, “Okay then I’ll take to bed then”, then he turned to Mark, “Can you finish up here? Make sure Saelen gets settled into the shield and get the advisors and generals working on a viable plan to get these invaders out of our lands!?”

Mark nodded in affirmative, “yeah I’ll do that, it’s about time we got those damn Krayat’s out of our Kingdom. There’s only so much magic Taeyong-hyung can pull from thin air.”

Doyoung nodded again before setting off the Taeyong’s quarters, luckily they weren’t far. Taeyong’s were the closest to the palace chambers as his abilities with the shield were needed most often. They were located just across the courtyard and as he crossed it with his cargo he glanced up at the sky. The green tinge of the shield melting away as it no longer took its active form, moving into it’s passive state that it stayed in while not actively repelling attacks. This stalemate had been going on for months now. The Krayat had yet been able to penetrate the shield in any meaningful manner, only a few warriors and one Acain managing to get through during a transfer period between the Shield Acain’s. But, the sustained onslaught was affecting the city. The frequent tremors caused by attacks kept everyone on edge and the continuous assault on the shield was wearing down all energy connected Acain’s the city has. Taeyong was spending more and more time holding up the shield as more and more Acain became completely depleted of usable magic and that was taking its toll on him too. The biggest problem was that, thus far, they couldn’t work out a way to get rid of the Krayat. They couldn’t beat them in a battle, the Krayat outnumbered them five to one. They couldn’t rely on their own Acain to do battle for them as the Krayat also have a formidable array of Acain, and they have nothing to bargain with the make the Krayat leave. The Krayat live for war and battle and they won’t stop till they’ve conquered and taken their prize, a prize which Taein will be honest he’s not entirely sure what it is that they want. Usually they take a Cities symbol or most important artefact but Neocin has no such thing to take. Doyoung shook his head, currently as it stands, the stalemate will continue till either they run out of offensive Acain or Neocin’s Acains can no longer keep up the shield. Doyoung was cut out of his musings by reaching Taeyong’s quarters so he pulls himself from his thought to focus on safely getting his brother into bed without further injury.

Last time he dropped him on his head.

Lowering him gently to the sheets Doyoung gazed thoughtfully at his eldest brother, since their Father had fallen into a coma Taeyong had stepped up into the role of both Ruler and father admirably. It had been 7 years since the King took ill, Jisung had only been 9 when the King’s eyes were last open, but Taeyong still held onto the hope that the healers would be able to wake him. Doyoung was not so hopeful but he was eternally glad for Taeyoing’s seemingly endless hope and his ability to find the good in every situation. Leading had aged his brother’s mind far beyond his mere 24 years but he was still as beautiful as he was a 17 and first stepped into the role of ruler of a population of over 20 million people. His brother had earned a nickname in his youth that stuck, “the untouchable flower of Neocin”, flower because his brother was born with delicately defined features and untouchable because he wore as mask that let out no emotions other then the ones he wanted you to see. Doyoung knew his brother was handsome but he never really noticed it until moments like this when all the stress lifted away and he was merely Taeyong. The people loved his brother even though he was ‘untouchable’ because he was kind, powerful and fair (and pretty) and honestly everything Doyoung aspired to be. It was kind of unfair that the Ecein would give him such a perfect older brother as a role model. Settling Taeyong beneath the light covers Doyoung made for the exit, taking one last look at his sleeping brother who for the first time in a long time looked completely at peace.


End file.
